Control means for washing machine roll wringer mechanism



A. W. ALTORFER CONTROL MEANS FOR WASHING MACHINE ROLL WRINGER MECHANISM4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12, 1934.

Filed July 17, 1933 JIM! June 12, 1934. A. w. ALTORFER CONTROL MEANS FORWASHING MACHINE ROLL WRINGEH MECHANISM Filed July 1'7, 1935 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Ixvzrzrcna.

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CONTROL MEANS FOR WASHING MACHINE ROLL WRINGER MECHANISM 56' 28 i 3 5 II i 5 I 53 g- .92 v a/ 4- .54 a 1 A? 7 a f 55* Amia A fl 68 a0 \5 b7 a56' Q I I 50 3 E 3 F535. s

INVERTER.

Wm M0 4 June 12, 1934. w, 'rg g 1,962,853

CONTROL MEANS FOR WASHING MACHINE ROLL WRINGER NECHANISI Filed July 17,1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mllllllllllllll [Gil INVERTER.

Art-rs Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL MEANSFOR WASHING MACHINE ROLL WRINGER, MECHANISM Alpheus W. Altorfer, Peoria,111.

Application July 17, 1933, Serial No. 680,675

4 Claims.

This invention relates to control means for washing machine roll wringermechanism.

The main object of the invention is to provide an easily operable meansfor controlling the wringer mechanism of a washing machine.

Another object is to provide control means for a roll wringing device,said control means includ-' control means including a power operatedclutchcontrol mechanism and an easily operated mechanism controlling themovement of said power operated clutch control device.

For the purpose of illustration, the invention is herein shown asembodied in a washing machine roll wringer assembly including a washingtub, a prime mover, such as an electric motor; associated washingapparatus, together with a power driven wringer unit, all mountedupon acommon support.

The washing and wringing mechanism are adapted to be selectivelycontrolled and operated, the whole forming a complete, self-containedpower driven washing and wringing unit.

The invention is clearly exposed in the following description andaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of thecomplete assembly as it might appear in commerce;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing details of framestructure, housing support and covering devices of the controlmechanism;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with housing cover removed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the electrical control switch takenon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the wringer driving and control membersshowing the driving clutch in disengaged position;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with the driving clutch inengaged position;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the driving clutch con-'- trol members to bereferred to;

Fig. 10 is a detail view taken from line 10,10 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 11 is a detail view taken from line 11-11 of Fig. 5. I

Fig. 1 discloses the external features of the complete assembly. Thewashing and wringing. apparatus being of somewhat conventional design,

will not be described further than to say thata tub 10 with associatedwashing apparatus is supported upon legs 11. Affixed' to the base andupper portions of tub 10 is a post structure made up of a lower or basehousing portion 13", a connecting tube 13 and an upper housing portion13 hereafter referred to as structure 13.

The assembled structure is adapted to support and house driving andcontrol devices to be described, also to support a wringer assemblycomposed of rolls 14 and 15 suitably supported inend frame members 16-and 1'7, which latter are joined by suitable transverse members 18 and19.

Suitable contact pressure between rolls 14 and 15 is maintained by meanshoused in member 19, the said means being made. operative through a handlever 20.

The wringer unit is supported from structure 13, already noted, by meansof attachment to an integral extension 22 of a housing member 21, asshown.

Housing 21 is adapted to support and enclose mechanisms to bedescribedalso to support the wringer unit in a rotatable manner by meansof a depending stem portion 23 (Fig. 5) and shouldered portion 24, theformer rotatably' depend 99 ing within a bearing portion formed instructure 13 and the latter bearing upon the upper surface of structure13.

By reason of the support described, housing member 21, together withthewringer unit, may

hand lever 25 is an extension 26 which is adapted to engage in recesses28 formedand disposed about the circumference of an upper flangedportion of structure 13, as shown in detail in Fig. 10. Extension 26 isurged toward engagement-with re.-

cesses 28 by a spring 28' reacting between the body of housing 21 and anextending portion of lever 25.

Obviously, with lever 25 in looking position shown in Fig. 5, thewringer. mechanism is securely locked against rotation about itssupport,

whereas, if hand lever 25 is manipulated toward the body of housing 21extension 26 will be withdrawn from engagement as noted, when thewringer unit may be freely rotated about the axis of bearing 23.

Through suitable mechanism, motor 12 is adapted to drive the necessarywashing devices and also to rotate a vertical shaft 29, the lower end ofwhich, not shown, is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing within thestructure 13", the upper end being journaled in a bearing 30 formed instructure 13.

Shaft 29 extends upwardly and beyond bearing 30, and terminates in ashouldered and contracted portion 31 which latter is adapted to rotatewithin a circular cavity formed in the lower end of stub shaft 32. Stubshaft 32 carries a shouldered portion 33 at its upper end and is adaptedto rotate within a bearing portion formed in structure 13 with theshoulder 33 seated upon an annular surface provided therefor as shown inFig. 5.

About the body portion of stub shaft 32 is a continuous groove adaptedto receive a retaining screw 34 by which it is retained against upwardvertical movement.

In the shouldered portion 33 is a slot 35 which is adapted to receive aflattened portion of an upright shaft 36 which is journaled in bearings3738 formed in the body of housing 21, as shown. A continuous groove 39is adapted to receive a retaining screw 40 by which upward verticalmovement of shaft 36 is prevented. Downward vertical movement isprevented by the hub portion of a. mitre gear 41 resting upon an annularbearing portion formed in the body of housing 21.

Mitre gear 41 is affixed to the upper end of shaft 36 by means of a pin42. Rotatably mounted upon a horizontal shaft 43 aretwo mitre gears 44and 45, disposed opposite and meshed with gear 41 as shown. Disposedbetween gears 44 and 45 and slidably keyed to shaft 43 is a clutchmember 46 having a continuous groove about its central portion andoutwardly extending tooth portions, as 47, projecting from both ends, asshown.

Tooth portions 4'? are adapted to engage similar teeth as 43 which areintegral with gears 44 and 45. The left hand end of shaft 43, asdisposed in the several views, is adapted to be coupled, by means notshown, with the shaft of lower wringer roll 14.

Clutch member 46 is adapted to be shifted from a central or neutralposition into engagement with either of gears 44 or 45 by means of ahand lever 49 conveniently located atop a cap member 21, the hand leverhaving a stem which is journaled in a bearing formed in the body of capmember 21'.

To the inner end of the stem is affixed an eccentric member, not shownin detail, which is adapted to engage in the groove of clutch member 46in such a manner that manipulation of hand lever 49 will result in ashifting movement of the clutch 46 from neutral position into engagementwith gear 44 or 45 as already noted.

The foregoing description will illustrate that rotation of shaft 36,together with gear 41, will result in idling rotation, in oppositedirection, of gears 44 and 45 and that selective directional rotationmay be transmitted to shaft 43 and wring- -er assembly by manipulationof hand lever 49 to the separable coupling between stub shaft 32 and.shaft 36.

Actuation of shaft 36 is effected in the following manner:

It has been noted that shaft 29 is normally rotated, through suitablemechanism, by the motor 12 and that said shaft extends upwardly frombearing 30 into a housing portion of structure 13 and terminates in acontracted portion and shoulder, which latter lies adjacent the lowerend of stub shaft 32.

Figs. 5 and 6 disclose that, resting upon the upper face of bearingmember 30 and rotatably mounted upon shaft 29 is a cam member 50, abovewhich is afiixed a ratchet member 51 supporting a flanged thimble member52, above which is affixed a pinion member 53. Stub shaft 32 is providedat its lower end with teeth similar to those of pinion 53.

Slidably mounted upon pinion 53 is a clutch ring member 54 having acontinuous groove 54' formed about the periphery and a bore broachedwith teeth which complement those of pinion 53 as shown best in Fig. 11.

Views shown in Figs. 5 and 6 will indicate that clutch ring 54 isadapted to slide upon pinion 53 up and into engagement with the toothedportion of stub-shaft 32 and thereby form a coupling between shaft 29and stub shaft 32. The ring 54 is shown in disengaged position in Fig. 5and in engaged position in Fig. 6.

A compression spring 55, reacting between the flanged portion of thimble52 and the under side of the flanged portion of clutch ring 54 tends tourge ring 54 toward engagement with stub shaft 32, which movement islimited by engagement of a lip portion of a sliding member 56 engagingwithin the groove 54. Sliding member 56 is retained in proper alignmentwith associated partsby means of a rigidly affixed stud member 5'7 whichis slidably supported within a circular cavity formed in the body ofstructure 13, as shown. Rotation of member 56 about the axis of stud 57is prevented by lug portions 58 formed integrally with structure 13, asbest shown in Figs. 7 and 8. A lower lip portion of member 56 is adaptedto engage against the under side of cam 50 and is retained in follow-upcontact therewith by the spring 55 through clutch ring 54, as shown.

Figs. 5 and 6 will illustrate that cam 50 is so formed that when it ispositioned as shown in Fig. 5, its lowest side is in contact with thelower lip of sliding member 56, the effect of which is to hold clutchring 54 out of engagement with stub-shaft 32, whereas rotation of cam 50through 180 degrees will present the high side to sliding member 56,allowing spring 55 to propel clutch ring 54 into engagement, thusforming a coupling between shaft 29 and stub shaft 32, as shown in Fig.6. Obviously, further rotation of cam 50 through 180 degrees willrestore the several parts to the disengaged position shown in Fig. 5.

Controlled actuation of cam 50 is accomplished as follows:

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 will disclose two levers 59 and 60, with lever 59assembled to overlie lever 60 and both pivotally mounted upon the upperside of cam 50 by means of ascrew 61, as shown. Lever 59 is provided atone end with a tooth portion 65, which is adapted toengage with ratchet51, as shown in Fig. 9.

Lever 60 is provided, at one end, with an upstanding lip portion 64, andon the opposite end -h Similar lips 62 and 63, The lips mentioned 156are adapted to engage, with a certain amount of free play between them,the ends of lever 59, as shown. Lever is tensioned by an extensionspring 66, hooked to an extending portion of lip 62 and anchored to thebody of cam 50 by means of a screw 67. Acting through lever 60 and lip63, spring 66 tends to urge tooth of lever 59 into engagement withratchet 51.

It may be mentioned here that for practical purposes lever 60 is notnecessary and might be omitted without affecting the practical operationof the device. In case of such omission, spring 66 would be hookeddirect to lever 59. The object of the supplementary lever 60 is to allowa certain amount of loose recoil movement on the part of lever 59 at theinstant of its escape from loaded condition. The arrangement describedprovides for smoother and less noisy operation.

Referring to Fig. 9, it will be clear that, with the several partspositioned as shown, if lever 60 is rotated upon screw 61 in a clockwisedirection, lips 64 and 62 will engage and rotate lever 59 to withdrawtooth 65 from engagement with ratchet 51. It will also be clear that,with ratchet 51 rotating as shown by the arrow, unitary rotation of cam50 will be imparted through tooth 65, lever 59 and screw 61.

Obviously, with the parts in rotation as above, contact of either end oflever 60 with a stationary object will result in rotation of lever 60,together with lever 59, upon the screw 61 to withdraw tooth 65 fromengagement as described, which in turn will result in arrestment ofrotation of cam 50, while ratchet 51 is free to continue rotation. Itwill be clear that removal of the obstructing object will permit spring66 to re-engage tooth 65 with ratchet 51 and resume rotation of cam 50.

The described clutching mechanism is operated and utilized in thefollowing manner:

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 will disclose a stop member 68 depending from a hubportion 69, which is afiixed to a shaft '70 rotatably mounted, as shown,in suitable bearings formed in the body of the structure 13.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, stop member 68 is normally disposed inposition to engage and obstruct either of lips 62 or 64. Dotted lines inFig. 3 indicate that stop 68 may be withdrawn from the obstructiveposition through rotation of shaft '70, which movement will allowescapement of, for example, lip 64 and engagement of tooth 65 withratchet 51. Under practical working conditions, removal of stop 68 fromobstructive position would be but momentary, in other .words, the stopwould be removed and retained out of contact with lip 64 for a moment,after which it would be returned to the normal obstructive position.Such action will allow lip 64 to escape and rotate, as described, whilestop 68 has in the meantime returned to the normal obstructive position.The described rotation will obviously continue until lip 62 isobstructed by stop 68, when the parts will rest as shown in Fig. 8.Momentary removal of stop 68, as described, will permit escapement oflip 62, re-engagement of clutch and rotation of cam 50 until lip 64 isobstructed, when the parts will rest in the position shown in Fig. '7.Thus, each operation of stop 68 will result in rotation of cam .50through 180 degrees. The contour of cam 50 is so adjusted with relationto lips 62 and 64 that on one side stop 68 is effective to arrest cam 50in the position shown in Fig. 5, while the opposite side is adjusted toarrest cam 50 in the position shown in Pg. 6.

Manual control of the described clutch operating means is accomplishedby the following means:

Referring, to Fig. 3, it will be noted that a bell crank lever '11. isafiixed to the extending end of shaft '70. To the long arm of lever 'llis pivotally attached. an armature member '72, adapted to operate withina solenoid coil '73, the latter being suitably supported upon structure-13 by means of a bracket 76, as shown; An extensionspringi 7.41s hookedtothe short arm' of lever '71 and anchored to structure 13 by means of ascrew '75.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the stop member 68 is so adjusted withrelation to the armature '72 that when the armature is withdrawn throughthe action of spring '74, stop member 68 will be in a position to engageeither of lips 62 or 64, as described, whereas energizing of coil '73will result in propulsion of armature '72 to rotate lever 71, togetherwith stop member 68, into a non-engaging position with relation to lips62 or 64.

Coil '73 may be energized by power flowing through lines '77 and 78, thecircuit being controlled by a series switch composed of a contact spring'79, contact block and. a push button 81, shown in detail in Fig. 4. Theswitch assembly is suitably affixed to structure 13 with button 81projecting through cover 82, as shown in Fig. 2.

In view of the foregoing description, it will be apparent that rotatibnof wringer rolls 14 and 15 by power from driving shaft 29 may becontrolled by momentary manipulation of push button 81 to energize coil'73, attract and move armature 72 to rotate lever '71 and with draw stop68 from obstructive engagement with lips 62 or 64, the above movementsresulting in rotation of cam 50 in half revolution steps to actuatesliding member 56 as described, to propel clutch ring 54 into or out ofengagement with stub shaft 32, as described.

It is thought that the foregoing description, together with the drawingsreferred to, will clearly illustrate the structure and function of theseveral elements composing my invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a roll wringing mechanism for a washing machineadapted to be swung in a horizontal plane into a plurality of operatingpositions, means for driving the wringer rolls in each of saidpositions, a clutch in the driving mechanism, electrically operatedmechanism for operating the clutch to control the movement of thewringer rolls in each of their adjusted positions and a manuallyoperated member for actuating the electrically operated means, saidmember being responsive to a relatively slight pressure by the operator.

2. The'combinatio-n of a roll wringing mechanism for a washing machine,a support and driving means for the wringing mechanism, permitting thewringing mechanism to be manually removed by vertical lift, a clutch inthe driving means, electrically operated means for operating the clutchto control the movement of the wringer rolls, and a manually operatedmember for actuating the electrically operated means, said member beingresponsive to a comparatively slight pressure by the operator.

3. The combination of a roll wringing mecha-- nism adapted to be swungin a horizontal plane into a plurality of operating positions, means fordriving the wringer rolls in each of said posisupport, a clutchmechanism on the shaft, power means for operating the clutch, to'controlthe movement of the wringer, a housing for the clutch mechanism disposedon said support, electrical means for controlling said power meansdisposed in said housing and manual means disposed exteriorly thereoffor controlling operation of the electrical means, the same beingresponsive to relatively slight pressure.

ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER.

